Next Boat - What do you think

[Bigplumbs]

Her indoors says I am never satisfied and perhaps when it comes to boats she is probably right. Having been a speed boat boater only for the last 4 - 5 years with a 17 foot bow rider (Add2Cart) which I tow each time I use her. She is very easy to launch and recover and great fun with the 115 merc outboard.

This year for the first time I bought a 19 foot Fletcher GTS (3 ltr Mercruiser) called The Cure with a small cuddy that you can overnight in and we have her on a swinging mooring on the River Deden.

There is just me (age 53) and my wife (age 51) as we have no children. I hope to retire in about 2 - 3 years and would have a boat buying budget of about £25 - £30K.

Now for the question. I would like a sports cruiser type boat which I could tow to my own property to keep over the winter (I have a Landrover Disco so can tow 3.5 t) and keep her on the swinging mooring in the season. I want a boat with cabins for up to 4 people sleeping with a single engine that has good sea keeping. I was thinking Diesel engine is best.

I feel I have got to have a boat that plains but my good very experienced friend (A Raggie though) keeps banging on about semi displacement and displacement.

What boat and Engine would those of you with far greater experience than me advise.

As I said this purchase will most likely be about 2 - 3 years down the line and I will keep the 17 foot Bow Rider as a play thing

Many thanks in advance

Dennis

 

[[2068]]

The requirement to be towable does limit things somewhat.
Some Sea Ray Sundancer 240's had diesel engines.
Also look at Sealine S23/S25 with Volvo KAD32.

This should be towable with the right trailer:
Bayliner 265
http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2003/Bayliner-265-Cruiser-2886460/United-Kingdom#.VycjQ7xLNCk

If you don't really need the towing capability, there's a whole host of bigger and heavier boats that will do better in the rough stuff.

 

[Momac]

My first boat was a Sealine S23.
I never towed it but was transported on a trailer using a 4x4 vehicle. Must be just about on the weight limit.
One of the reasons we changed, to a bigger Sealine, was my wife complained about the insufficient space for keeping clothing etc to stay on the S23 any longer than a weekend. Must be age related as we managed okay for 5 years including holidays of up to two weeks aboard and only in the 6th year she started to complain.

As for sleeping 4 people ........... forget it on a 25 footer.

 

[Nick_H]

If you will keep her on a swinging mooring in the summer, and at home over the winter, then being easy to launch and retrieve isn't the biggest requirement, as you'll only do each once a year. You could even tow to a boatyard and have them lift it in for relatively little cost.

Assuming you're not limited on mooring length or storage space at home, then you could get quite a big capable boat within the 3.5T towing limit. I had to work with a 2.6T limit but was able to find a 24' boat with a decent cabin and put a 300hp outboard on it. I wouldn't dismiss the idea of an outboard as modern ones are light, quiet, reliable, and fuel efficient, as well as being cheaper to service. A diesel engine will be a lot heavier, so the rest of the boat would have to be lighter, and probably smaller, to stay within the towing limit.

I'd do your research on the type of boat you want, and try to find a manufacturer that makes lighter boats for a given size. Lighter doesn't have to mean lower quality, if it is due to sensible use of foam coring, stronger or lighter materials, different construction techniques etc. AOTBE a longer boat of the same weight will usually be better at sea.

 

[MJGH]

Had a Sea Ray 230 Sundancer for a number of years which I towed behind a Toyota Landcruiser.
Towing and launching was never a problem.
You have a choice of 2 x petrol engines V6 or V8. I believe they introduced a diesel in the later 240 but understand it wasn't the quickest, if you are keeping your bow rider as a play thing then that might not be a problem.
Spent 10 x days on board at Ardlui in Loch Lomond with 4 x adults and a child, once you organised your self it was not a problem.
The Sea Ray 230 Sundancer imho is still one of the best looking boats at this size.
Most of the early genre of boats of this size had small diesels if fitted, although I believe Mariah did one with a big diesel lump which was right on the limit of what you could tow.
Hope this is of some help.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Many thanks for the helpful comments. I have been looking at several of the boats you mention particularly the Sundancers. Although I said to sleed 4 that would only be on the odd occasion generally it would be 2 people. I will continue looking (which is part of the fun)

Any other comments greatfully appreciated

Dennis

 

[symondo]

unfortunately not a diesel but similar requirements as to what i was working to.

ive not long bought a bayliner2655 which was in need of some tlc.

i spent hours looking through the sites and come to the conclusion, that most boats between 23-26 ft were basically a similar layout internally, and it was down to engine, drive and overall style.

Diesels had me priced out as its my 1st 'big boat' so ive got a 5L v8 to get my head round.

There is definitely plenty of choice in that size and cost though - good luck with your search!

 

[dpb]

As above, similar criteria led me to the Sea Ray 240 sundancer that we have just purchased.
We found that as you tried to buy newer, the number of manufacturers to choose from seemed to reduce as many move up size and drop the smaller pocket cruisers from the range.
As for diesels, the ones fitted to these boats as standard struggled to perform well by some reports.
Also as you get over 10 to 15 year old boats, I wonder if the greater cost of running petrol isn't offset by the greater cost of repairs to the volvo penta diesel and drives. The V8s are simple and easy enough to work on and browsing the parts list recently they seem much more reasonable than vp diesel prices.
We will see how I get on!!

 

[MapisM]

I feel I have got to have a boat that plains but my good very experienced friend (A Raggie though) keeps banging on about semi displacement and displacement.

LOL, whaddumean "a raggie though"
As much as I've always been a moboer myself, there's no denying that raggies on average are more experienced than moboers, and in fact I would second your friend suggestion, unless you need speed for some reason - but that's usually less of a requirement when you are (or will be) retired.
Trouble is, with pleasure boats (as opposed to commercial boats), the choice of D/SD boats is much more limited, and even more so for trailerable boats.
In fact, I don't have anything specific in mind to suggest, but if you could find a D/SD boat with a small(ish) single diesel inboard engine, after sticking a very small o/b on the transom (good as both a get home engine and for trolling, if fishing is your thing), you would have a lovely vessel - an option that in your boots I would seriously consider.
All the best anyhow for your search! :encouragement:

 

[Stats007]

In three years time you might be able to get an early Aquador 25C for £30k with a KAD32. It will sleep 2 in the foreward cabin and 2 in the cockpit. An outboard powered Beneteau Antares or Jeanneau Merry Fisher might be another option if you like those sort of boats. An alternative is this Beneteau Ombrine 800 which has been up for sale every year for the last three years so may well take £30k for it.

 

[MJGH]

Had a Sea Ray 230 Sundancer for a number of years which I towed behind a Toyota Landcruiser.
Towing and launching was never a problem.
You have a choice of 2 x petrol engines V6 or V8. I believe they introduced a diesel in the later 240 but understand it wasn't the quickest, if you are keeping your bow rider as a play thing then that might not be a problem.
Spent 10 x days on board at Ardlui in Loch Lomond with 4 x adults and a child, once you organised your self it was not a problem.
The Sea Ray 230 Sundancer imho is still one of the best looking boats at this size.
Most of the early genre of boats of this size had small diesels if fitted, although I believe Mariah did one with a big diesel lump which was right on the limit of what you could tow.
Hope this is of some help.

The Mariah with the big diesel lump is a Z280, the engine was a 300hp mercruiser diesel. They were a top of the range boat in their day and often came with many extras such as aircon.
They were bang on the towing limit or perhaps slightly over depending on spec.